Invalid — disregard

create_files.sh

@@ -207,8 +207,15 @@ should_exit_gracefully() {
     # Fix #144: Only match valid markdown checkboxes, not date entries like [2026-01-29]
     # Valid patterns: "- [ ]" (uncompleted) and "- [x]" or "- [X]" (completed)
     if [[ -f "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" ]]; then
-        local uncompleted_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
-        local completed_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[[xX]\]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
+        # `grep -c ... || echo "0"` duplicates output on no-match (grep -c prints
+        # "0" AND exits 1, triggering the fallback). Pipe to head -1 and validate
+        # as a number to avoid breaking the arithmetic below.
+        local uncompleted_items
+        uncompleted_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$uncompleted_items" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || uncompleted_items=0
+        local completed_items
+        completed_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[[xX]\]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$completed_items" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || completed_items=0
         local total_items=$((uncompleted_items + completed_items))
 
         if [[ $total_items -gt 0 ]] && [[ $completed_items -eq $total_items ]]; then

lib/response_analyzer.sh

@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ detect_questions() {
     # Count lines matching question patterns (case-insensitive)
     for pattern in "${QUESTION_PATTERNS[@]}"; do
         local matches
-        matches=$(echo "$content" | grep -ciw "$pattern" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
-        matches=$(echo "$matches" | tr -d '[:space:]')
-        matches=${matches:-0}
+        # `grep -c || echo "0"` duplicates output on no-match (grep -c prints
+        # "0" AND exits 1, triggering the fallback). Pipe to head -1 and
+        # validate as an integer instead.
+        matches=$(echo "$content" | grep -ciw "$pattern" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$matches" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || matches=0
         question_count=$((question_count + matches))
     done
 

ralph_enable_ci.sh

@@ -326,22 +326,27 @@ main() {
         beads)
             if beads_tasks=$(fetch_beads_tasks 2>/dev/null); then
                 imported_tasks="$beads_tasks"
-                TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' || echo "0")
+                # `grep -c || echo "0"` duplicates output on no-match. Use head -1
+                # + regex validation so TASKS_IMPORTED is always a single integer.
+                TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' | head -1)
+                [[ "$TASKS_IMPORTED" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || TASKS_IMPORTED=0
                 output_message "Imported $TASKS_IMPORTED tasks from beads"
             fi
             ;;
         github)
             if github_tasks=$(fetch_github_tasks "$GITHUB_LABEL" 2>/dev/null); then
                 imported_tasks="$github_tasks"
-                TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' || echo "0")
+                TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' | head -1)
+                [[ "$TASKS_IMPORTED" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || TASKS_IMPORTED=0
                 output_message "Imported $TASKS_IMPORTED tasks from GitHub"
             fi
             ;;
         prd)
             if [[ -n "$PRD_FILE" && -f "$PRD_FILE" ]]; then
                 if prd_tasks=$(extract_prd_tasks "$PRD_FILE" 2>/dev/null); then
                     imported_tasks="$prd_tasks"
-                    TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' || echo "0")
+                    TASKS_IMPORTED=$(echo "$imported_tasks" | grep -c '^\- \[' | head -1)
+                    [[ "$TASKS_IMPORTED" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || TASKS_IMPORTED=0
                     output_message "Extracted $TASKS_IMPORTED tasks from PRD"
                 fi
             else

ralph_loop.sh

@@ -711,8 +711,16 @@ should_exit_gracefully() {
     # Fix #144: Only match valid markdown checkboxes, not date entries like [2026-01-29]
     # Valid patterns: "- [ ]" (uncompleted) and "- [x]" or "- [X]" (completed)
     if [[ -f "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" ]]; then
-        local uncompleted_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
-        local completed_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[[xX]\]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
+        # Note: `grep -c ... || echo "0"` duplicates output. `grep -c` prints "0"
+        # AND exits 1 when there are no matches, so the `||` fallback appends
+        # ANOTHER "0", producing a two-line value that breaks arithmetic. Pipe
+        # through `head -1` and validate with a regex instead.
+        local uncompleted_items
+        uncompleted_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$uncompleted_items" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || uncompleted_items=0
+        local completed_items
+        completed_items=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[[xX]\]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$completed_items" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || completed_items=0
         local total_items=$((uncompleted_items + completed_items))
 
         if [[ $total_items -gt 0 ]] && [[ $completed_items -eq $total_items ]]; then
@@ -877,7 +885,11 @@ build_loop_context() {
     # Extract incomplete tasks from fix_plan.md
     # Bug #3 Fix: Support indented markdown checkboxes with [[:space:]]* pattern
     if [[ -f "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" ]]; then
-        local incomplete_tasks=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
+        # See comment in should_exit_gracefully(): `grep -c || echo "0"` produces
+        # a two-line value on no-match. Sanitize via `head -1` + regex check.
+        local incomplete_tasks
+        incomplete_tasks=$(grep -cE "^[[:space:]]*- \[ \]" "$RALPH_DIR/fix_plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+        [[ "$incomplete_tasks" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || incomplete_tasks=0
         context+="Remaining tasks: ${incomplete_tasks}. "
     fi